Venezuela expels top US diplomat along with two others 2013-09-30 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the expulsion of three US diplomats on Monday, whom he accused of meeting with the country’s far-right opposition in a bid to “encourage actions to sabotage the power system and the economy.” The three diplomats, including Kelly Keiderling who is currently chargé d'affaires, were given 48 hours to leave Venezuela. A major blackout in early September crippled 24 states throughout the country, including parts of Caracas, and led to accusations by Maduro that it had been a ploy by the opposition to destabilize his government. "We will not allow an imperial government to bring money and see how they can stop basic companies and stop the electricity to turn off all of Venezuela," said Maduro.

Two US oil rigs appropriated by Venezuelan govt Venezuela took control of two oil rigs owned by Superior Energy Services Thursday after the Texas-based halted operations because the state oil monopoly fell behind on payments. A Venezuelan judge and a small number of police officers entered a company depot and demanded the company turn over control of two specialized rigs to an affiliate of PDVSA, the state-owned oil producer, arguing that keeping the facilities running was essential to Venezuela’s national production. A Superior employee who witnessed the handover told the Associated Press it was was similar to “a thief breaking into your house, asking for the keys to the safe and then expecting you to help carry it away.” Government officials refused comment on the matter. PDVSA has taken on a large amount of debt, which has made oil companies hesitant to work with the state monopoly that oversees the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

Venezuela expels three US diplomats for 'conspiracy': Three US consular officials are being expelled from Venezuela after allegedly conspiring against the government, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday. The officials have not yet been identified but are planned to be revealed by the foreign minister in due course. "It's a group of US functionaries who are in the universities. We've been watching them having meetings in the private universities for two months. They work in visas," Maduro said in a nationally televised broadcast.

Venezuela’s parliament speaker urges probe into US-funded NGOs The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly called on the country’s intelligence agency to look into non-governmental organizations funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in a televised speech on Friday. Diosdado Cabello also criticized USAID of funding individuals who are regarded criminals by the Venezuelan government. He gave an example of a Florida-based NGO with USAID links tied to the activist group Operation Liberty, led by Lorent Saleh, who is accused by the government of planning terrorist acts. The accusation comes as US officials and USAID-funded NGO representatives met in the US Embassy in Caracas on Friday.

Venezuela’s Maduro granted legislative powers The Venezuelan parliament has granted President Nicolas Maduro legislative powers on Sunday for a period lasting nine months. It comes in the midst of the current situation in the country, which the leader has in the past described as an attempted coup by the US. The decree has already become known as the ‘anti-imperialist law’ and comes at Maduro’s own request, shortly after sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the Obama administration’s targeting of high-ranking government officials. This took place just as the country was holding massive military drills, presumably as a show of force to Washington. Critics of Maduro’s political apparatus have continued raising the issue of human rights and believe the new decree to be a power grab.

Every foreign interference is undemocratic. It's not elected by the people of the country.

Venezuela condemns Trump’s ‘brutal’ economic sanctions threat Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government on Tuesday condemned a “brutal” and “imperial” threat by US President Donald Trump to impose economic sanctions if plans to set up a controversial new congress were not withdrawn. Reading the government’s response to Trump’s statement on Monday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada said the July 30 vote for a legislative super-body known as a Constituent Assembly would go ahead despite US objections. (Reuters)